This specification relates to malware protection software.
Malware is any kind of malicious software such as, for example, a computer virus, Trojan horse, spyware, and malicious active content. Malware can spread via infected email attachments, shared files, or malicious websites. Malware can also spread inconspicuously via link files that cause malicious activities to be performed, such as downloading malware.
Malware can attach to files so when the infected file executes, the malware also execute and, for example, self-replicate without user knowledge or permission. Other malware target a computer's memory and infect files as the computer opens, modifies, or creates files. Some malware can lie dormant and not show any signs of existence, e.g., key capture software, monitoring software, etc.
Malware protection software generally operates by scanning a computer's memory and disk drives for malicious code. Scanning may be performed by comparing signatures of files with signatures of known malware. If the malware protection software lacks updated signatures, however, malicious processes and links may go undetected. Further, links may be used to download new malware for which signatures do not exist, but from locations nevertheless known to be dangerous. In such situations and others, malware protection software fails to prevent damage to the computer system.